Squire Danagher

The horse's real strength lies in consistency on normal ground. On the kind of conditions you get most of the year — neither particularly wet nor hard and fast — he has won four of his seven races there, a genuine 57% win rate that stands out sharply against his overall record. He is also a creature of routine in terms of distance; give him a race between 1 mile 6 furlongs and 2 miles and he performs at his best, winning four of his eight attempts over that stretch. The obvious place where Squire Danagher shines, however, is Dundalk. He has an extraordinary record there: four wins from seven races. That kind of course speciality is the sign of a horse that likes something about the track — perhaps the surface, perhaps the shape of it — and it is the sort of pattern that savvy the yard would exploit ruthlessly whenever the opportunity arises.

Under jockey W J Lee, the partnership has been particularly sharp: three wins from nine races together gives them a 33% win rate, well above the horse's overall average. Where the cracks show is at the highest level. Stepped up to Class 4 company — among the top races available — Squire Danagher has yet to win from three attempts. That is not unusual; most horses have a ceiling, and this one appears to have found his. As a solid, honest performer who knows his way around courses like Dundalk and thrives on normal ground, however, he remains a useful horse in the right race.